Yarn winding machine



Feb. 26, 1946, L. M;COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 CNN INV NR 9 Z. 1 a AT7ZJRNEY 1946- L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORMEY Feb, 26, 1946.. 1... M. COTCHETT 2,395,463

YARN WIN DING MACHINE I Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1946.. M. COTCI- EETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4v c $3 r n Qm wQ Q J ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1946. 1.. M. COTCHETT 9 YARN WINDI NG MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 6 Sheets-sheaf 5 INV TOR ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1946. CQTCHETT 2,395,463

YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 G SheetS-Sheet 6 A TTORNEY INVE 0' Patented Feb. 26, 1946 YARN WINDING'MACHINE Lou'is Cotche'tt, Hingham, Mass, assignor to Foster :Machine Company, 'Westfield, Mesa, 1a corporation of Massachusetts "Original application January 19, 1943, Serial No. 472,852. :D'ivided and thisapplication'October 16,1943, Serial No. 506,540

9 Claims.

} 'I he,present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in 'mult-i-unit winding machines and more particularly to anovel and improved disposal means for exhausted supply bobbins.

Objects and "advantages of the invention will the set iorthin part'hereinafter and :inpart will be obvious *here'from, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the :same *b'e'in'gre'alized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out ,injthe appended claims.

The invention consists in thenovel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting :a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the descriptionserve to explain the principles of Fig. 5 is a view showing the lovver "portion of Fig. 4';

Fig. sis another fragmentary view of the upper portion of the windingima'chine';

Fig. '7 is a sectional view showing the bobbin l'supply mechanism of each unit of the Winding machine;

Fig. '8 is a fragmentary front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. '7; and

9 is 'a View similar to Fig.7 showing the bobbin suppl mechanism in different positions and including the disposal means for exhausted -i bobbins of the present invention.

The present invention has for its object the provision of :novel and useful means for arrangltl'g for automatic disposal of an exhausted supply bobbin used in a .multi-unit winding machine and par ticularly an automatic multi-unit Winding machine, thus reducing the number or operations to be manually performed by the operative.

A further object of the invention is to provide disposal means for discarded'empty bobbins from a plurality of units in thewinding machine Where the bobbins are automatically collected in pro gl'essio'n from the units. Another object of the invention is to provide, for a "winding machine,

' the operative ignores it and it defied i dolled from the bobbin supports, which *means also carries a supply of new bobbins for replenishment.

Further objects will be more clearly brought out hereinafter or will be obvious from the description hereinafter given.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, here disclosed, "the invention is illustratively "applied to a inulti -unit winding machine having a plurality of surface driven winding units arranged in a continuous seneseach winding Llili't comprising a constantly rotating driving roll, a pivoted arm carrying a package core receiving spindle or shaft which can be loweredfto bring the core into driving relation to the roll-so that yarn or other filamentous material is 'wound on the package by the rotation "of the roll and sore. Usual yarn guide means are traversed back-and forth across the surface of the package to Wind the yarn properly on the core. I

The winding units are preferably identical and may be divided into two grounsof about 50 each, the two groups facing in'op'posite directions, While the driving rolls for each group are alined,

= mounted on anddriven b a-conimon'sha it, each of the two group shafts being driven by a separate motor at the desired winding speed. i

The yarn supply masses normally comprise spinning bobbins and the holder for them is formed as a rotatable member havingyin a *preferred arrangement three parallel bobbin receiving pins, extending in a generally-upward direction, each of the pins being adaptable to receive a bobbin. As one bobbin becomes exhausten, "or

the strand of yarn becomes broken, the holder may be rotated to bring the completely or an incompletely exhausted bobbin to an intermediate position and the same movement brings a reserve bobbin into winding-off position, the samernbtment also moving the exhausted bobbinthrough a doffing operation in which the bobbin removed from the pin, said'pin beingiotatedaround to a loading position for a fresh supply bobbin.

When the bobbin is rotated into the intermediate position, it may be observed by the operative as to Whether there is any yarn remainin thereon, so that option may be had iorits proper disposition by hand. If sufficient yarn appears upon the bobbin to justify, the operative may place the b'obbin in the reserve position so that it will be subsequently moved into running-on position and the drawing off of "the yarn resumed.

If, however, there is no yarn on the bobbin its means for collecting exhausted bobbins when? supporting pin in the some movement which brings the supply bobbin into the running-off position and the exhausted bobbin into the intermediate or observation position. The pins are preferably pivotally mounted on their holder, with the axis of the holder such that the pins are slightly inclined and means are provided for swinging the exhausted bobbin and pin downward and outwardly as it moves through the dofling operation to the loading position, theresuccession, and moving relatively to them i a extends along the multi-unit winding machine near its base and forms an endless track haw ing two straight portions parallel to each other, 7 one at either side of the machine, these straight portions, being connected at the ends by curved track portions which provide an endless path, of generally oblong shape.

,On the tender and near its lower portions is provided a motor which is drivingly connected with traction devices carried by the tender and engaging the trackway.= Conventionally, the tractionidevices'may be a belt supported by pulleys,

the belt resting on one member of the trackway,

and connected through variable ratio gearing to 'themotor so thatthe speed of travel of the tender past the winding units maybe varied at will and adjusted to sizeof the supply package and speed ,of winding of the yarn or other filamentous 4 material being Wound (which is the duration of -exhaustion),; or the speed of the operative in handling the bobbin, or the most efficient com bination of these factors. 7

Each winding unit continues to wind yarn from a supply mass orbobbin onto a package by contact of the package with the driving roll, and when the yarn supply hasbeen exhausted, the supply holder is rotated to move the reserve yarn supply into Winding-off position, simultaneously movingthe exhausted bobbin into an interme diate position'for inspection as to its completion of exhaustion and the previous intermediate bobbin is doffed from its supporting pin by the tilting of the pin said pin is then restored to its upright position by the sam movement, ready to receive a new supply mass dropped onto it through the slide by the operative. v

, During the winding operation the tender moves continuously past the various winding units in succession, and if operated sufficiently slowly with reference to the speed of winding and the length of yarn 'on the supply mass, thesupply mas-s will have been exhausted by the time the tender reaches each winding unit.

' In accordance with the present invention, in the (tender, This bobbindoifing boxmay be provided with a separate compartment to carry f l .9 9-

bins to be placed on the reserve spindles or yarn supply pins. In this way, the operative follows the tender and manually removes a full bobbin from the supply box, places it in the slide and allows it to drop onto the reserve bobbin pin of the successive winding units after the tender has passed.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention there is illustrated a.

multi-unit winding machine having a plurality of winding units 50 arranged in two parallel alined series facing in opposite directions with the back sides of the winding units of one series adjacent to the back sides of the winding units of the other series.

These winding units are of substantiallycon ventional construction and each comprises a' driving roll 32 carried and driven by shaft 33 which is rotatably journalled in bearings 34, all of the rolls 32 for-a given series'being mounted on a single shaft 33, each shaft 33 of each of the two series i preferably driven by a separate motor 36 through a belt 31. Bearings 34 are mounted on a unit'frame 39, and these unit frames are securely fastened to the main frame 40 of the machine. r

For rotatably supporting the core 44 on which the package 45 is to be wound, there is provided a wooden core 42 which is freely rotatable on a spindle 43 pivotally supported in the end of an arm 46 which is, rotatably mounted by means, of

collar 4T on a shaft 48, extending from one end of the machine to the other, the arms 46 being held against easyrmovement by a heavy spring 49 fast to the collar 41 and having a rolled end 50 which rides in the groove 5| of collar 52 fast to the shaft 48. The arms 46 for each series of winding units are mounted onthev common shaft 48, but extend therefrom in opposite directions,

as shown in Fig. 1, and hold the cone spindle 43 mounted on and driven by a common shaft 55 V which is driven from a motor36 by a V belt 31 provided with mean to automatically recurrently vary the speed of camshaft 55. The traverse cam and thread guide may be of conventional construction but, as illustrated in Fig. 4, comprise a, thread guide having a central thread guiding slot 6| and curved sides 62 whichis reciprocated in a controlled varied timed, relation to therot'ation of shaft 33 by'me'ans of .the usual cam groove in the cylindrical cam.56'on shaft. 55. Thus as the package is rotated by the driving roll 32, yarn Y is traversedv back and forth along the length of the package core by the thread, guide SI, 52 to lay it on the packagein uniform layers.

The yarn supplied for winding isillustratively carried on bobbins 10 which are tubular andhave a mass of yarn. ll thereon, being shown as the type of'bobbin which would be produced byconsupported on movable bobbin supports, which comprise a base 13 rotatably mounted on a shaft M which projects in a generally upwardly direction from a bracket 16 fixed to and supported by rod 1'6 extending along the lower part of the machine frame 4'6. Base I3 is provided with three equally spaced radially extending pins 11 on each of which is pivotally mounted a plate 18 from which extends normally upwardly a bobbin receiving pin H! which loosely projects into the tubular portion of the bobbin.

From one side of each plate I8 projects a stop pin 86 engageable with a radially extending pin 81 carried by the base member I3, and all of the bobbin pins I9 and their bobbins are held in substantial parallelism 'by means of the pins 80 and 8i and by an interrupted cone 83 cooperating with a collar 84 between which the base rotates. Cone 83 and collar 84 are fixed to the lowerend of the shaft I4 and also form the bearings for the base I3 as it rotates. Gone 83 fits closely against the bottoms of the plates "18 and prevents their turning on their pivot pins 1.1 so long as the plates are in contact with the cone 83; but is cutaway, as at 85 so as to permit the plates 18 to turn for doling the bobbin. pressed ball 8" mounted in a socket B8 in the lower portion of the cone 83, cooperates with shallow depressions 89 in the base 13 to insure correct indexing and accurately hold the bobbin pins 19in proper position against accidental displacement.

On the lower-portion of the machine frame 46,

and preferably on the outermost uprights 156, is

mounted a lower rail I5I supported by brackets I52 and an upper rail or channel I54 supported by brackets I65, the rails I'5I and I54 being substantially parallel to each other and spaced a considerable vertical distance apart. The rails I51 and 154 extend along one side of the winding machine, and curve gradually to meet another straight section *of each "rail extending along the other side of the winding machine, and a second curved section of both rails is provided at the other end to form a closed double trackway.

Both the rails I51 and I54 are preferably horizontal, and the curved end portions I56 are preferably semi-circular and spaced sufiiciently from the ends of the winding machine to provide ample room for turning of the travelling tender.

The lower rail I5'I is preferably relatively narrow on its upperface while the upper rail 1-54 is a bent section having its channel opening downwardly and provided on its inner surface with insulating material I58 extending along the inner side surfaces. of the rail I64, the outer insulation I58 supporting a conductor I59 or bus bar through which it and the rail I5I current is supplied to power the tender.

The tender I60 comprises a support member I6'I from which downwardly extend two caster stud yokes I63 in each of which is rotatably 'journalled onahorizontal axis a pulley I64, these pulleys being aligned to ride on the rail -I5I. Above the support member I6! isaplate lfififrom which upwardly extend two spaced apart followerzarms I68, at the inner and upper ends of each of which :is .rotatably mounted roller I69, both rollers I69 being received within the channel of rail I54, and bearing against the bus bar 159.

Power is supplied to the motor :from the rail I5I through the pulleys I64 which are grounded with respect to the tender frame, and the "circuit C A spring surface of rail "I5I so as to assist in the is completed through the rollers I69 which are connected to the motor by conductor I'IO, the follower arms I68 being insulated from the tender frame. In order to permit the rails I5I and I59 to be relatively exposed, and at the same time provide safety for the operative and equipment, the current supplied to the motor through these rails is preferably at a relatively low and inherently safe voltage, such as twenty-four volts and the current is supplied from the mains to these conductors through a suitable step-down transformerI'II. U

Supported on a bed plate "I15, forming the lower part of the tender, is the traction motor l T! which drives the traction pulleys I64 through variable speed reduction gearing I78 and belts I19, E86. Belt I66 runs under both pulleys I64, and over the driving pulley IBI, and its lower horizontal reach is in contact with the upper movement of the tender along the rails.

Each of the caster stud yokes I63 is preferably adjustably mounted in a bracket block I 62 on the support member I61, so that their relative vertical position may be varied to accurately adjust and level the tender on the rail.

As power is sup-plied to the motor, the tender is moved continuously around the two series of winding units, and its speed is such that it preferably completes each trip around the machine in approximately the same time as is required for the normal wind of one of the supply bobbins.

New bobbins may be brought into a yarn supply position, and the exhausted bobbins from which the yarn has been wound may be defied by rotation of the base member I3 carrying with it the three bobbin pins "I9. The cone member 83 on its underside is provided with a cutaway portion 85, this cutaway portion being suflic'iently large to allow the bobbin pin supporting plate "I8 to turn from the position shown in Fig. '7 to the position shown in Fig. 9.

For effecting this movement,each of the plates I6 is formed on its underside with a tripper lug 96 which engages with a tripper 9I mounted on an arm 92 and the plate swings out of the cutaway portion 85 which extends from collar '84, and is adapted to engage and tilt the pin support plate I8 as it rotates from one winding position to another. With the pin I9 in lowered position (Fig. 9), the empty bobbin is doffed therefrom, and as the bobbin support continues to rotate, an upper edge of the tilted plate 18 engages with the lower edge86 and cut-away portion 85 so asto restore the pin I9 to its generally vertical position before the support has moved to its next yarn feeding position.

As the yarn is drawn from the active bobbin it passes between the tension washer I and off position, and these means cooperate withthe bobbin support so that movement ofthe tender past the winding unit causes the bobbin holder to be shifted to its next position, and at the same time doiis the bobbin which has been exhausted.

As shown in Figs. 4, "7 .and 8, mutilated sprocket 216 is mounted immediatelybelow the: base member 13 of the bobbin supply, thissp'roc'lget having three setsfof teeth when three bobbin pins are provided on the support.

: "Sprocket -2l0 is coaxial with bobbin support shaft 14 and is adapted to be rotated periodically; To this end a rack section 203 is mounted on the tender I60 on a suitable arm 2!, and is adapted to contact said mutilated sprocket as the tender passes the unit, the teeth of the sprocket lying directly in the normal path of movement of rack 203 as it is moved relatively to the winding unit. This relative movement causes the bobbin support to be turned through one-third of a revolution, thereby effecting the movements of the three'bobbin spindles I9, and as the rack tooth 2G3 leaves sprocket 2l0, this one-third revolution of the bobbin support has been completed, and a full bobbin has been moved ,from its reserve position to a running position.

' Means are provided for facilitating the loading ofv bobbins onto the empty spindle of each bobbin supply and for this purpose there is provioled a curved chute 230 extending in a generally upward direction,- and conforming in general to the exterior shape of the supply mass used, and this chute is preferably so positioned a that the new full bobbins are accurately guided .1 a bobbin box into which the exhausted bobbins are doffed, and this bobbin box is preferably removable from the tender so as to facilitate clearing .the tender of used or exhausted bobbins. As

- embodied at the trailing: side of the tender, ar-

ticulately connected thereto so that it is drawn along by the tender, is provided. a sheet metal box 220 whichhas an upper compartment 22! .and .lower compartment 222, the upper compartment preferably serving to receive a box of.v fresh bobbins, while the lower compartment preferably serves to receive the doff box for the exhausted bobbins. The lower compartment 222 is provided with an inner vertical wall 223 which extends upwardly for a considerable distance but leaves a sufficient space through which the bobbins may be projected as they are doffed from the bobbin supporting pin 19, and Fig, 9 of the drawings shows a bobbin as it is projected through that space and into the dofi. box.

The bobbin box may extend rearwardly of the tender for a considerable distance, the length depending upon the quantity of bobbins to be carried, and the leading edge of the bobbin box isconnected to thetrailing'edge of the tender by means of the vertical hinge 224.

The lower wall 225 of the bobbin box is preferably sloping so that the doff box is inclined andthe bobbins fall away from the rear of the box, while an upper wall 226 is likewise inclined and :receives the box containing the fresh supply of bobbins... Thus, from the foregoing description, it will be discerned that as the tender I60 progressively I passesthe units 50, the exhausted bobbins will be automatically doffed from the pins 19 and deposited into the chute 2M1, thereby obviating a 'manual operation. Furthermore, as the operaccuses ative observes a reserve bobbin'pin 19 without any bobbin thereon, the replenishment supply; of new bobbins in the top portion of the bobbin box 220 can be'utilized to fill the empty. -pin, thereby obviating the carrying of-a large supply of replenishment bobbins manually to various stations of the units, it only being necessary for the operative to take a new bobbin from box-22l and drop this in the appropriate. chute 230 of the bobbin support23. p 1 This application is' a division of copending application Serial No. 472,862, filed January 19,

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown'and. described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples-of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. r WhatIclaimis: V 1 1. Ina multi-unit winding machine, the combination of means for supporting and rotating a yarn package, a movable supportfor aplurality of supply bobbins from which yarn is suc-- cessively wound onto said package, a travelling tender moving past said support in one direction in a continuous path and having parts cooperating with said support to cause said movements, and a bobbin receiving box removably articulated to said tender and adapted to receive the exhausted bobbirrwhen it has been doffed and means for moving said support to bring a reserve yarn supply bobbin into oper-' ative position and to simultaneously doff theexhausted bobbin into said box. a

2. In a multi-unit winding machine the combination with a plurality of units each including means to support and rotate a yarn package, a rotatable support for a plurality of supply bobbins from which yarn is wound, and a continuous trackway around said units, a tender moving past said unit in succession on said trackway in one direction, said tender carrying a bobbin receiving box during its passage, said box being adapted to receive the exhausted bobbins as theyarezdoffed from their respective supports and means for rotating said support to dofif an'exhaustedbobbin" into said box.

3. In amulti-unit windin machinethecombination with a pluralit of units each including means to support and rotate. a yarn package, a rotatable support for a plurality of supplybobbins from which yarn is wound, and means for rotating said support to doff an exhausted bobbin with a' moving member successively passing by said plurality of units and carrying operating means adapted to contact the supply bobbin support of each unit in succession to rotate same to cause doffing of a bobbin, said member having a box removably articulated therewith and adapted to receive the bobbins doffed from the plurality of units.

4. In a multi-unit winding machine; thecombination of a support for at least one bobbinrfor each unit from'which yarn is withdrawn, means for dofling said bobbin from its support when exhausted, a travelling member moving past-said support, a bobbin receiving container moving with said travellingmember and adapted to receive the dofied bobbin and means actuated .in timed 5. In a multi-unit winding machine thecombination with a pluralit of units each includin means to support; and rotate a yarn package, a rotatable support for a plurality of supply bobbins from which yarn is wound, and means for rotating said support to doff an exhausted bobbin, a tender moving past said units in succession, said tender carrying a bobbin receiving box during its passage, said box being adapted to receive the exhausted bobbins as they are dofied from their respective supports, the movements of said travelling tender and bobbin receiving box being in timed relation with respect to the winding cycle of said units and mean on said tender to cause the support of each unit to rotate to dofi an exhausted bobbin during said cycle at the time when said bobbin receiving boxis in position to receive said dofied bobbin.

6. In a multi-unit winding machine, the combination of a support for at least one bobbin for eachunit from which yarn is wound, means for dofiing said bobbin from said support when exhausted, a travelling member moving past said support and actuating said means for doifing, a box having a bobbin receiving chamber removably articulated thereto and moved thereby to receive the dotted bobbin, and a bobbin supply chamber forming part of said box containing new bobbins for replenishment of supply.

7. In a multi-unit winding machine, the combination of a support for at least one bobbin for each unit from which yarn is wound, means for dofiing said bobbin from its support when exhausted, a travelling member moving past said support and having means to actuate the dofiing means during its passage thereby, and, a bobbin container moving with said travelling. member and adapted to receive the dotted bobbin, in one portion thereof, while another portion of said container supplies a replenishment bobbin for said exhausted bobbin.

8. In a multi-unit winding machine, the com bination of means for supporting and rotating the yarn package of each unit, a plurality of supply bobbins from whichyarn is wound on each of said packages, means to rotatably support said supply bobbins, a continuous trackway around the units, a travelling member moving past said support means on said trackway in one direction, and a bobbin receiving container moving with said travelling member and detachably articulated thereto to receive said doifed exhausted bobbins means for dofiing exhausted bobbins from said support into said box.

9. In a multi-unit winding machine, the combination of means for supporting and rotating a yarn package, a movable support for a plurality of supply bobbins from which yarn is successively wound onto said package, means for moving said support to bring a reserve yarn supply bobbin into operative position and to simultaneously dofi the exhausted bobbin, a travelling tender moving past said support and having means to move said support to cause said doifing during its passage thereby, and a bobbin receiving box removably attached to said tender and adapted to receive the exhausted bobbin when it has been dofied.

LOUIS M. COTCJHETT. 

